When Paul Heslop woke on the morning of January 15 in 1997, one thought dominated his mind: Would he go down in history as the man who killed Diana, Princess of Wales? He was working for an anti-landmine charity in Huambo, Angola, and had spent weeks preparing for a visit from the princess, whose solo walk through a minefield would be seen on television across the world. He had helped to clear a safe path, but there was always the chance she could trip into the vegetation nearby, still littered with deadly mines.
"I thought: 'This is definitely going to be one of the highlights of my life, people will be asking about it for years afterwards,"' he recalls. "But I did have a moment of: 'Oh God, if I f*** this up, I'll be the man who blew up Princess Diana. I'll have infamy forever.' My biggest fear was that a photographer would sneak to get a picture and accidentally detonate a mine. When you're trying to control that many people who are all trying to get the best shot, it's nerve-racking."
Heslop will have been thinking of this as Prince Harry honoured his mother's legacy on Friday by retracing her steps on the fifth day of his tour of southern Africa. Much like Diana, he made the trip alone, parting ways with the Duchess of Sussex and baby Archie in South Africa. But he did not walk through a minefield — the area was made safe some years ago, with homes, shops and a paved road built over what was once a dirt path.
It is a sign of success for Angola, which has destroyed some 100,000 mines since 1994. But about 1200 minefields remain, and Prince Harry has urged the global community to help the south-west African country complete its "long journey, full of heartache and frustration", to safety.
![Prince Harry followed the path of Princess Diana in an active Angola minefield. Photo / AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/L5EAPFK5H5UA3NLA4LWFAT63EA.jpg?auth=9697aed7998cb33256a4fd4c476d0f4bbe05338d486ba0f555eec9bf674c5792&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)